cause they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RUNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

freespeech

This is the way it goes: If the kids are bad it's what they do that is the cause, it's never the parent... but when the child is good, who takes all the credit almost immediately? The parents.

Control your damn children bitch, quit trying to blame your bad parenting on a company.

Shaoko

Jac21

vln

Overlord44

erlik

Kids shouldn't be expected to behave any differently until they have turned 18, having been saturated with ass-beatings all the way.
Even then it's a gamble.

Comatose Turtle

MizzDiva

Your kid is fighting with his siblings? Teach them why that's wrong. Stop spoiling the children and take some time out of your day to actually be a parent.

God, why can't anybody seem to raise a child these days? Seriously, though, she seems to just fail as a mother.

"People are always charging up to me and telling me to shut my children up."
Doesn't that tell you something about your parenting?

"They cannot be expected to sit down quietly for the entire duration of a play or a film at the cinema, as an adult might, because they are not adults."
Then don't fucking take them to a place intended for well-mannered adults. Don't just let them do whatever they want. They're children, and if they are not treated as such to at least a minimal degree, they're going to become spoiled and ignorant. Do we go to see movies with our year-old daughter? No, no we do not. Because we know that she won't be able to sit still and quiet for two hours. She will fuss and generally ruin the experience for others in the theater. Because that's how kids are. So get a babysitter, or, better yet... Just take the kid on some activities intended for children too young to be polite. Go to the park. Feed some ducks. Don't blame other people for pointing out that your children are rude in public. Don't blame video games because your children are violent and can't behave themselves.

The only person you can blame for that is yourself.

Uzumaki_Kiba

K-Squad! (Badass Edition)

MURDERFACE

Chilly Hollow

"Can anyone pick out what's wrong with this picture?" yeah i can this idiot has fucking kids.

MURDERFACE

Sorry

LaughingCrow

Raising 4 kids: £100,000

Buying Nintendo DS and a bunch of games: £400

Blaming "The Nintendo" for your kid's issues: Priceless.

LaughingCrow

GOD

sorry,

Rant over

GOD

Whatever she was trying to prove, she missed the mark entirely.

zingbot

Kempatsu

sanctusmortis

If you give your kids whatever they want and then try and take it from them they're gonna be all "GTFO! It's mine!"

fadecy

Sabre_Justice: Okay, no more long name.

Lemming

imgoingtomakeyoubald

tyrannosaurus.drew

Chris3000

JokesJokes

Artdeux

And those are some shitty-looking kids.

elpierce

'Your comment will be reviewed shortly. Comments may be edited and not all will be published.'

So if a comment pops up from me agreeing with her twisted parenting skills the mail must have edited it

The_Vindicator

@baberg: of course it won't give us the individuality soccer and football gives us, Dr. Greenfield. Nothing says individuality like walking into a sports stadium and seeing everyone is wearing green and yellow.

VakeroRokero

Beyene

Letting kids play video games is only letting them indulge in their fantasies. I mean as a kid I would have died from joy if you told me a game like Marvel Ultimate Alliance or something like RockBand was coming out! Are you kidding me, being able to play music without having to hear your mom yell at you for months because you just cant figure out how to get the G chord. At least if you let kids play video games (for reasonable hours and content) its more constructive than oh say, letting your kid watch tv for hours or take a bike ride in the woods and poke a rattle snake. Fun times. Some games even hide challenging puzzles in the midst of all the fun a kid is having. Imagine getting to kill a pig monster AND solve a puzzle, its so futuristic and stimulating that an idea like that couldn't possibly happen for another 30 years.

Look all im saying is that in this "Nature Vs. Nintendo" argument, it's more reasonable to assume that its not a non-sentient device making noises that is turning children into brainless do-nothings, its probably a lack of patience, care, love, or willingness to actually grow up and assume responsibility of having someone rely on you hand and foot that is making this so called Generation Z(ombie) what it will be in the future. When I played my NES or Genesis for too long, if my grades started slipping, if I forgot to take out the trash due to my gaming my parents would take away my system or even worse my TV! OHNOSE! Between fantasizing about being a superhero and fighting along side Robin Hood and GI Joe in the most colorful LEGO fortress I could construct at the time and assuming the role of an elf boy saving a princess or a blue hedgehog I was doing something constructive. I was doing something human, I was being curious, I was delving into a place that so many of us lost (besides Ken Levine or Tim Schafer, etc.) I was being a kid and using my imagination to go where so few can.

Sorry for my rant but I have been lurking here for a few years and reading stories like this that just irk the hell out of me. I just couldn't take it anymore.

Chewpathingy

Now when I reload the page it doesn't say anything about comments. Nothing about leaving one, how there are none, viewing them. It's the same for other articles on the site as well.

Maybe since I disagreed I got put on a shitlist? Good game.

UltimatePancakeSensation

ekstrapiksels

ekstrapiksels

She needs to start acting like a MOM, and not a child who blames toys for their own stupidity.

Kovitlac

deathtastic

Bluejuan85

Ignorant, child-wrecking bitch.

Those poor kids are going to wind up completely socially unacceptable and by HER terrible hand.

I hope her kids hate her.

Xiatter

Odin

Tarage

How did she expect them to act?! They aren't saints until you raise them to be. This lady thinks raising children, is pulling them through life, teaching them nothing and covering their eyes apparently.

ARVash

Thank you...

My, then, six year old niece and I played dollhouse. Let me tell you that it was more disturbing than the thirty seconds sex scene in ME.(Of course, I let my sister know.)

superfrogsavestokyo

"Your comment will be reviewed shortly. Comments may be edited and not all will be published."

Meaning 99% of the comments won't go through, or will be so edited that it will make the commenter look like a fool and this insane mother look like a saint.

Shadebane

Covert_Knight

Little boy, upper right = Jack Torrance

schvitzatura

BatSamus

It's like giving a violent sociopath a DS, then blaming the DS when he starts beating people over the head with it.

erlik

HELLSRIDER

You can't reason with a 3 year-old, but you can certainly send them to their room or make them stand in a corner.

erlik

Name of the article:
"Ninten-Don't... How I watched my children turn into monsters the minute I bought them a computer game"

A what game, now? Don't blame the kids, lady, you just happen to be fucking retarded. :)

man in gauze is king ramses II, silly.

LedBread

My kids have my old N64 and old Xbox, plus a GBC, GBA, DS, and a Wii - and yes occasionally they play with me on my 360.

Do they fight? Sure - all siblings fight. Is it the fault of any of the above gaming systems? Nope. They'll just as easily fight over who won a bicycle race.

Perhaps instead of using a game system as a means with which to go take a nap, she should try using it to have fun WITH her kids and teach them fair play and sportsmanship.

(Cry when you lose a Mario Kart race on the Wii and you have to sit out a race, perhaps?)

zoompooky

mferrari

Maltose

Parents these days have lost the ability to be parents. Don't blame society because you can't discipline your children.

kunio

creid

GrimesFace

MaxS

midnightz

Sonasu

amatecha

EmeraldDragon

mackincheese

hollowfreak

Mrevilbobguy

"I understand the trouble that can arise from video games mixing with kids. I do think you are unfairly blaming the device. The same thing could happen with unregulated TV watching or internet use. All entertainment devices have the opportunity to suck a user in, to the point that they forsake all other activities.

In my experience, with two kids of my own, setting reasonable limits can make things like this an asset instead of a liability. Have a chart or schedule that lets them know when it is their turn to play with the DS and how long they are allowed. They also need to know that it is a reward, not an entitlement. If they behave and do their homework and practice the cello, only then will they be allowed to use the DS.

Completely taking it away from them solves this specific problem, but it won't stop them from getting addicted to something else. Careful regulation would be a better solution. (Simply taking it away for a week then giving it back with a warning doesn't count.)"

Slothboy

JokesJokes

WalkOnWater

karateka

OMG! You poor woman! I hope you can get what's coming to you! Nintendo is totally out to get all of your children, you must hide them quickly! In fact, Nintendo is just a "gateway" machine - they will crave more , then they will be out searching for the harder stuff !

Tip: After the 1st child , you eat the rest.

DrStrangematter

StormTec

Beatboxtaun

Abriael

TK423

Notice the third to last activity: OCCASIONALLY FIGHTING.

phil2dot6

Arteen

Lijik

Godzilla-Sushi

KM91

Jordan Lund

miluda

Koolsen

Folks... please do not click though.

Jabbertrack

Also, I suspect that few of you have kids, or even know any small children with video games. Each child develops differently; not all are suited to video games.

It's a parent's decision. And lo, this parent paid attention and decided to give away the DS (to satisfactory results, I might add). We should all hope for MORE parents like her - attentive parents.

Hmm. Not reading, judging harshly, yelling loudly and refusing to see things from other points of view... Kotakuites: you're becoming everything you always hated.

Actually, you've always been like this. I swear, sometimes the games jingoism is so thick here that we all might drown in it.

dujrock

jambe

Secondly, kids need to learn to share. That means 'she' has to teach them this as their mother. The DS has brain training games but not games training people how to share.

MjrShake

pakx

T6Spades

He's right and you know it!

Ryu Kazama

Siye

Kenny

@imikedaman: THIS.

I'm not entirely convinced that she's blaming "video games" in general for bad behavior. She doesn't quite make connection in the article. She blames "the Nintendo" - this particular little gadget - for the the trouble that went on in her house.

So I don't think it's unreasonable to for her to conclude that the DS that she bought was a catalyst to the fighting, especially since she never says that video games are inherently troublesome.

j_k_redtail

Yamster

Meohfumado

Arsenic. Inject arsenic into your children to counter the effects of the Nintendo poison. At least 500cc.
Wouldn't hurt to take some yourself.

Scyen

LOL. The internets triumph in their corruption of the old, greedy parents as well as the young, equally greed-ridden children.

Maybe someone should have taught the kids to share more effectively? If you put a shiny coin in the middle of three kids, they're going to fight over it. Eventually when it is lost, they will go back to their "normal" status, whatever that is. DS, shiny coin, anything... little kids are gonna fight.

@baberg:

I would agree that to some extent there is a loss of creativity to some extent. I mean there are some people who go outside the rules of the game, but those are few and far between. I blame that generally on people just being people - preferring to consume rather than create. I really can't see how things like "Dancing with the Stars" would have been remotely imaginable 20 yrs ago if this wasn't true...

Last_Raven

"we must take on the task of dissecting these accusations in as dignified and level-headed a fashion as we can manage."
-There's no need to do this as it's from the Daily Mail.

Riotpoll

"What finally did it was a suggestion from my oldest child that without a Nintendo in her school bag, she would be unable to fit in at school. (Yes, I know - oldest trick in the book. And I fell for it.)"
This is your fault, not the video games.

I don't mean to attack you, however, to state that video games are the problem to your children attacking each other and unable to share one DS is completely ridiculous. As a mother, YOU should be establishing ground rules for your children to share the DS evenly.

As my mother taught me when I was growing up, homework and real life were always before games. Although I am majoring in video game design, I have always tried to have my work ahead of video games at all times. You should teach your children the same if they get involved with video games again (which will happen).

-----------------

Am I being too mean? Because to me, she seems like she deserves a slap in the face.

Katte

--

And yeah, it was a mistake to buy a DS -- not because Nintendo makes kiddie crack, or because video games are inherently evil, but because this particular device appeals to many different types of kids. Her kids couldn't quite grasp the "sharing" aspect of peer relationships, so they fought over it. She learned a lesson. Hopefully, they did too.

Siblings have been fighting over toys since the dawn of time. The fact that they fought over a DS doesn't make her a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad parent.

j_k_redtail

ohhello

Gameboy loved me as long as it had batteries.

Gameboy didn't beat me with a cedar board that had 'obey' scribbled on it.

omen

Barmelo

nikolaj

Guild_Navigator

...wait a minute...

JGab

v-rus

First of all, the best thing she could do is just let her children safe for it themselves with pocket money or whatever. This teaches them not only the worth of money, but gives them also an impression just how expensive some things can be.

Second, if she still wanted to buy a console, she should have bought a console that could accommodate all four kids, not just one. Having a device in the house that is completely new and extremely interesting is of course going to be the object of desire for the 4 kids. Especially when you forbid them to play it anymore. As long as they have to share one DS with the 4 of them, the marvel stays, but as soon as the children can play with their own device, the chance is that much bigger that the marvel will go away and that they will resume their other daily activities.

Third, in a household where no one has got much experience with games, it would have been better to buy a console that is not portable. This would:
1. Create the ability for multiplayer, thus having them all busy at the same time with one console, instead of having them fight over who would get the console. Of course, discussion like this would still exist with single player games, but they would be less.
2. By having it connected to a television, it is much easier to control their playing behavior, simply because there are other people in the house wanting to watch the TV. Rules like this are easier to enforce rather a portable console which can be used anywhere anytime.

In other words; yes, she made a bad decision as a parent and is taking it out on the DS. Because, as far as I could gather from the article, the kids did not get violent through specific games (as if games like Nintendogs could even remotely accomplish that), but rather due to to the fact they all wanted to play and got annoyed with each other to the point of aggression.

Cridia

fenderfuel08

Ajh

At least she gave it away. If she can't parent with it, without it is the best solution...

And just maybe she has learned to do her homework on stuff before jumping on a quick fix substitute for parenting.

Ajh

Damn tho', your daddy was real...xD. Thank goodness I was a daddy's girl! But hell, that ain't stop my mama from wailing on my ass--then unplugging the NES and saying "keep up all that damn cryin', I'ma give you some more to cry about!!"

Needless to say I shout the hell right on up...

Ah, those where the days of ol' school parenting. Damn, these kids be gettin' off too easy!

MizzDiva

Adam In Texas

Derigor

What is the point in writing in to the Daily Mail to complain about something involving your own parenting? Does she want the Daily Mail to come over and discipline her kids for her? Is she looking to have 3 more ds's sent to her? a wii? In some wierd turn of events is she looking for one of those "more power to ya girl!" things from other incompetent parents who didnt plan out the financial responsibilities of having children.
My dad used to beat me ass when I used to antagonize my sister. Not saying she needs to goto the extreme that my dad went with me but hell. Discipline your damn kids and they wont fuck with you and they know you mean business.

Seriously though, how does she not expect the little kids not to whine/fight over sharing one DS. The DS is just about the coolest damned thing ever. I had to buy another one for my wife so we didnt fight over playtime on it and we are adults. These kids are friggin tiny! We used to argue over who got to play with Wolverine or Snake Eye or the Lego Blacktron duders wit the black visors... this is a freaking DS, it's like the Ferrari of toys to a little kid. And you throw one in front of them expecting sunshine and smiles. Yea Right lady. I throw gallons of fish blood and raw meat into a shark tank an I expect them to share politely.

Derigor

Krumm

Can kids ever REALLY be productive? What does she expect them to do at that age? She is clearly delusional.

Furysetzer

kingcnut

kingmanic

Did anyone else have a flashback to the creepy little girl humming from the ginger episode of South Park?

silentbobfan

stop2

[www.dailymail.co.uk]

riiiiight.

Eville1

sifujames

Parents, grow [your set of testicles] and take back control or your kids WILL ruin your life, plain and simple.

I worked for a brick-and-mortar store for three years in the electronics department and would NOT sell a M rated game to a parent with a kid present unless I gave them a complete run down on why a game has been rated such and explaining how to read these warning labels. I got into some trouble with the parents because I was "telling them how to raise their kids" but, ultimately, my bosses agreed with me and most parents were happy I had told them. Their kids, not so happy which (in a weird way) made my day when I could do something like that.

web_man_dan

MizzouPhan

I wonder if they will accept my comment. Or will they keep me silenced. hmmm

Anto103

ark

She tried to buy obedience, but only satisfied a whimsical craving for entertainment for a little while, and now the plan backfires...

And to drive home the final nail of cynicism, watch as Nintendo caters to the mainstream masses with increasing care and makes the system reset every 15 minutes to tell you to go outside and do something real. (Haha... you had to with the Super Scope, but then if you didn't, sometimes the batteries would overheat and rupture!)

fuchikoma

Here goes: The boy on the upper right with the "I wonder how many ways I can break that" look on his face complemented by the insane Joker smile probably enjoys stabbing his siblings and school mates with the DS stylus. He'll grow up to become a lifetime inmate at a maximum security prison.

The girl below him stubbornly crossing her arms in pretend-defiance against the photographer is probably the loudest with harpie-like screams that can shatter glass, summon demons, and burst blood vessels in her mother's head. Someday, she'll become the proud wife of a wealth business man whom she will drive to suicide with relentless nagging and arguments.

The boy on the lower left cuddling up to mom is mostly likely the informant who tells on the other kids. His overly affectionate ploys to his mother probably gives him a slight edge over the other kids in getting the DS. He'll grow up to be a politician someday and sell the whole country out for personal gain.

Finally the girl in the pink who was apparently starting a fire with her mind when this photo was taking only uses the DS to distract the evil spirits who've possessed her since birth. She will grow up to became Wiccan, a groupie for several goth bands, and the token "bat-shit-crazy girl" for any number of reality television shows.

Arklop

My kids are rewarded by video games. They're not given a game to make the shut up and leave me alone...and it sounds like the reasoning behind her initial madness.

Also, my kids know that when I say times up...they save, stop and do something else. There's no arguing because they respect me as their father. No beating or yelling is needed to teach your children this ;). It's called teaching by example.

Shandy706

This is moron parent hate.

Shimmergeek

stargateheaven

zoesch

There. Fixed.

JamesR87

JokesJokes

Elderwulf

Daymonster

bombyaker

Solution buy multiples of everything, or have less kids. Since one is hard to do, I think the first option is the clear winner. It is not Nintendo's fault that you cannot afford four children.

Derigor

YUYU

Kempatsu

Abberare

Overlord44

tobytoby2002

100%=EPIC FAIL

axiomatic

and yeah, didn't anyone know that videogames are the first thing siblings have fought over in the history of mankind. romulus and remus who?

xbulletholes

Shyguy

RabidWombat

Oh don't worry. Im sure people have sent in comments disagreeing with the article, but the Daily Mail rarely publish them. They like censorship they do.

IanC

Her second mistake was not understanding the right and wrong way to use the device. Just like nuclear energy had the potential to bring the world into a new and glorious age it also has the potential to utterly destroy civilization as we know it. All great things have such cost, video games are no different. While on one hand we can experience amazing advances in teaching, learning, and entertainment, we also have the potential to lose ourselves.

The topics of video game violence and video game addiction really are two sides of the same coin. Both deal with how the chemical reactions in our brains are manipulated by games. Certain stimuli elicit certain responses from our body and the effects among those who do not understand this are even more pronounced.

Never would I argue that video games caused any of this because in the end it is upon each person to make their own choices and deal with the consiquences of said choices. However, I would caution anyone who is not experienced with new media to do some research and get a better idea of the reality.

Oh yes, and to her point about her children losing the self identify because of games. This is not an issue specifically related to video games, it is part of a more global movement towards new media. In the end this is actually not as bad a thing as it sounds, people growing up to identify themselves as part of a community and recognizing that their actions not only have personal consiquences but also consiquences for other member of the community and how those members view the person.

Individuality can only get you so far, before you are forced to identify yourself as part of a larger community. This is actually not even new, it just is part of a larger fear that we will all be brain washed communist zombies. Point of fact, we live in a community and thinking of only ourselves will either see us excommunicated from the community or see the community disolve into self serving factions.

Perhaps a little off point, but I fear for us if we cannot recognize the reality of our world.

Some people, like this mother, seem to be a bit misguided and lack proper knowledge of the topics at hand to make true opinions, much less accusations. (Nothing against her personally because I know she means well for her children).

Ankhenaten

Dauragon C. Mikado

badmoogle

British people with any common sense or half a free thinking brain have to laugh at it or else they would spontaneously combust in a rage of irritation and indignation of an indescribable intensity. The paper prides itself in pandering to the lowest common denominator and relishes the task of rubbing stereotypical prejudices in the face of anybody innocent, dumb or curious enough to read from it.

Secondly, Rosie Millard is the perfect fit for such a publication.

An old link but it sums her up quite nicely. How can somebody who used to earn top dollar as a BBC showbiz reporter describe herself as impoverished?!

[www.thisismoney.co.uk]

kretinite

I haven't had my own DS fix in a long time. Maybe I'll try freebasing it, instead of playing...

Shyguy

She was so engrossed that she failed to notice the flashing blades and ended up with a wonderfully short crop. "

Oh right... So using a toy to distract her child into having a haircut she doesn't want to have, that just screams "I'm a good parent!"

Seriously, what kind of person buys 1 toy for 4 children to share and expects it to go well?

Shimmergeek

Seriously, if she wrote the article, who was rearing the lil'ones?

I say, I learned to read and behave before I had anything electronic. But hey, I have issue with parents that put DVDs on to shut up the kids in the back of the minivan. Atleast you could block it from drivers behind you seeing the damn thing at night...(distraction-moving lights)

SigmundTheSeaMonster

leimeisei

ocalot

Gam3r

It seems it would have been simpler for her to have bought a wii, so the kids could play together at any point. And 20 games? Games arent for everyone but This had bad idea written all over it.

San

Tr1cky_TPR

And a video game comsole is not a babysitter.

whiptcracker

Pombar